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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. kid — child
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — letters
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. kid — to tease
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rest — what's left
  14. spell — magic
  15. deal — to handle
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. swing — in golf
  18. mug — a face
  19. stock — goods
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — to play on
  22. stock — shares
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. mug — to rob

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com